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criticism

Literary Criticism

This guide to literary criticism and analysis is meant to be your starting point for researching critical studies of the world's major literature. It is broken down by form of literature being studied: Short Stories, Novels, Poetry, and Drama. It is very specific in that it is focused on how one might do literary criticism at the COD Library. See the guides on American Literature and British Literature for general information about authors, works, and historical context, as well as, how to find the literature itself online or in the COD library. This guide is meant for the interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of literature.

Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism
From the Purdue OWL online writing lab, this is a great, very brief, look at literary theory and some of the different schools of criticism that have been used or are being used today.

Reference Books and eBooks

Why Reference Sources?

Is your research topic too big to cover in a short paper? Is your topic so specific that sources will be hard to find?

Before you even begin your research, start the process with reference sources-- in the Library's Reference Section or online in our databases. Reference books, like subject encyclopedias, can give you a head start and make your research easier in the long run. Use reference sources to:

find a topic

narrow your topic

find keywords

get background information on your topic

Use the menu below to find the reference tool that will best help you start the research process.

Online Reference sources

You can begin your research without even stepping into the Library with the online reference sources available through our databases. Visit the Databases by Title page for links-- you will need your Library card to access these resources if you are off-campus.
Credo Reference is an online reference service made up of full-text books from the world's best publishers. Whether you're working on a research paper, trying to win trivia or just curious, Credo Reference has something for you. Take a look at the subject page in Credo and click on the subject: Language & Literature to see the reference ebooks available in this database.

Discovering Collection has thousands of overview essays, critical analyses, biographies, timelines and multimedia elements in Literature and other core areas. In Literature, search Authors, Literary Works and Literary Topics, Genres, and Movements.
The Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) provides access to general reference materials as well as the following literature resources:

Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and Literature: A Handbook , 2005
Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream , 2v, 2007
Literary themes for students: War and Peace, 2006
Literary themes for students: Race and Prejudice, 2006
Reference Guide to World Literature , 3rd ed., 2v, 2003
Twenty-first century novels. The first decade, 2011

How do I find criticism for short stories?

First, try a search in the Library Catalog for books about the author or his or her works.

Second, use our collection of books specifically for short story research. The following books are available in the Reference Collection. They can be searched through at the short story level with the Literary Index within the Literature Resource Center database.

Critical Survey of Short Fiction Ref PN 3321 .C7 1993

Reference Guide to Short Fiction Ref PN 3373 .R36 1994

Short Stories for Students Ref PN 3373 .S3844

Short Story Criticism Ref PN 3373 .S386 NOW Online

Also, try to use other literary criticism reference books that deal with literature as a whole, regardless of form. Here are a few series to consider in the Reference Collection.

Dictionary of Literary Biography Ref PN 451 .D5

Nineteenth-century literature criticism; Ref PN 761 .N5

Twentieth-century literary criticism; Ref PN 94 .T9

World literature criticism; Ref PN 523 .W67

Third, use an index or bibliography to refer to discussion often published in scholarly journals or books about a short story. Usually, the actual critical essay is not listed. Instead, the index lists where you will find the critical essay.

Literary Criticism Index Ref PN 523 .W4 1984

Twentieth Century Short Story Explication Ref PN 3373 .W3

Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism Ref PN 523 .M3 1979x

Can I find any criticism online?

Databases

Try the Library's literature databases for articles about your author or short story. Here are just some of the databases appropriate for finding short story criticism:

These databases are available on and off-campus. Have your library card handy when accessing the databases from off-campus-- you will be asked for your name and library card number before you can search them.

Websites

Web sites, especially those sponsored by colleges and universities, can also provide useful criticism for your research.

If you find other sites on your own, be sure to carefully evaluate the information. Who is the author? Is the content reliable? Is the information current? Do you want to base your professional reputation on that website? To review and rate all types of web sites, use the CRAP test to help you.

How do I find criticism for novels?

First, try a search in the Library Catalog for books about the author or his or her works.

Second, use our collection of books specifically for novel research. The following books are available in the Reference Collection.

Novels for Students Ref PN 3385 .N68

The Critical Perspective Ref PR 85 .C76 1985

Reference Guide to English Literature Ref PR 106 .R4 1991

English Novel Explication Ref PR 821 .E6

Reference Guide to American Literature Ref PS 129 .R44 2000

Also, try to use other literary criticism reference books that deal with literature as a whole, regardless of form. Here are a few series to consider in the Reference Collection.

Dictionary of Literary Biography Ref PN 451 .D5

Nineteenth-century literature criticism; Ref PN 761 .N5

Twentieth-century literary criticism; Ref PN 94 .T9

World literature criticism; Ref PN 523 .W67

Third, use an index or bibliography to refer to discussion often published in scholarly journals or books about a novel. Usually, the actual critical essay is not listed. Instead, the index lists where you will find the critical essay.

Literary Criticism Index Ref PN 523 .W4 1984

Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism Ref PN 523 .M3 1979x

Can I find any criticism online?

Databases

Try the Library's literature databases for articles about your author or novel. Here are just some of the databases appropriate for finding novel criticism:

These databases are available on and off-campus. Have your library card handy when accessing the databases from off-campus-- you will be asked for your name and library card number before you can search them.

Websites

Web sites, especially those sponsored by colleges and universities, can also provide useful criticism for your research.

If you find other sites on your own, be sure to carefully evaluate the information. Who is the author? Is the content reliable? Is the information current? Do you want to based your professional reputation on that website? To review and rate all types of web sites, use the CRAP test to help you.

How do I find criticism for poetry?

First, try a search in the Library Catalog for books about the poet or his or her works.

Second, use our collection of books specifically for poetry research. The following books are available in the Reference Collection.

Poetry Criticism Ref PN 1010 .P499

Notable Poets Ref PN 1021 .N68 1998

Poetry for Students Ref PN 1101 .P756

Poetry Explication [criticism excerpts] Ref PR 502 .K8

Also, try to use other literary criticism reference books that deal with literature as a whole, regardless of form. Here are a few series to consider in the Reference Collection.

Dictionary of Literary Biography Ref PN 451 .D5

Nineteenth-century literature criticism; Ref PN 761 .N5

Twentieth-century literary criticism; Ref PN 94 .T9

World literature criticism; Ref PN 523 .W67

Third, use an index or bibliography to refer to discussion often published in scholarly journals or books about a poem. Usually, the actual critical essay is not listed. Instead, the index lists where you will find the critical essay.

Literary Criticism Index Ref PN 523 .W4 1984

Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism Ref PN 523 .M3 1979x

Can I find any criticism online?

Databases

Try the Library's literature databases for articles about your poet or poem. Here are just some of the databases appropriate for finding poetry criticism:

These databases are available on and off-campus. Have your library card handy when accessing the databases from off-campus-- you will be asked for your name and library card number before you can search them.

Websites

Web sites, especially those sponsored by colleges and universities, can also provide useful criticism for your research.

If you find other sites on your own, be sure to carefully evaluate the information. Who is the author? Is the content reliable? Is the information current? Do you want to base your professional reputation on that website? To review and rate all types of web sites, use the CRAP test to help you.

How do I find criticism for dramatic works?

First, try a search in the Library Catalog for books about the playwright or his or her works.

Second, use our collection of books specifically for drama research. The following books are available in the Reference Collection.

Drama for Students Ref PN 1601 .D595

Critical Survey of Drama Ref PN 1625 .C68 2003

Columbia Survey of Modern Drama Ref PR 1861 .C65 2007

Also, try to use other literary criticism reference books that deal with literature as a whole, regardless of form. Here are a few series to consider in the Reference Collection.

Dictionary of Literary Biography Ref PN 451 .D5

Nineteenth-century literature criticism; Ref PN 761 .N5

Twentieth-century literary criticism; Ref PN 94 .T9

World literature criticism; Ref PN 523 .W67

Third, use an index or bibliography to refer to discussion often published in scholarly journals or books about a play. Usually, the actual critical essay is not listed. Instead, the index lists where you will find the critical essay.

Literary Criticism Index Ref PN 523 .W4 1984

Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism Ref PN 523 .M3 1979x

Can I find any criticism online?

Databases

Try the Library's literature databases for articles about your playwright or play. Here are just some of the databases appropriate for finding drama criticism:

These databases are available on and off-campus. Have your library card handy when accessing the databases from off-campus-- you will be asked for your name and library card number before you can search them.

Websites

Web sites, especially those sponsored by colleges and universities, can also provide useful criticism for your research.

If you find other sites on your own, be sure to carefully evaluate the information. Who is the author? Is the content reliable? Is the information current? Do you want to base your professional reputation on that website? To review and rate all types of web sites, use the CRAP test to help you.

Film Research

Finding Film Reviews

This guide will get you started in the area of film research. You can find information about films, directors, actors, themes, film criticism, and film reviews using many of these resources. In order to find a review, it is important to know the year the film was released. For movies released prior to 1970, reviews will be found primarily in print indexes.
The following online databases and print indexes will direct you to reviews.

Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research (WCFTR)
"The Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research (WCFTR) is the home of one of the oldest and most extensive collections of print, audio/visual, and graphic materials relating to film, theater, radio and television in the United States." (from the website)

Film Literature Index (FLI)
"The Film Literature Index (FLI) annually indexes 150 film and television periodicals from 30 countries cover-to-cover and 200 other periodicals selectively for articles on film and television. The periodicals range from the scholarly to the popular. More than 2,000 subject headings provide detailed analysis of the articles. " (from the website) Indiana University Digital Library Program

Variety - FILM
Variety.com contains reviews and information on new and upcoming films. Also you can find information about the film business, festivals, and statistics.

New York Times Movie Reviews
Browse or search 28,000 New York Times movie reviews. Included in the free review archive are all films reviewed since 1960, reviews of all Best Picture Academy Award winners, as well as The New York Times guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games, and most recently, fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media.

Filmsite
Filmsite is a unique website containing interpretive, descriptive review commentary and historical background, and hundreds of colorful, vintage film posters for some of the best Hollywood and American classic films in the last century.

MRQE - Movie Review Query Engine
MRQE.com, the Movie Review Query Engine, is the Internet’s largest database for movie reviews. Founded in 1993, MRQE (pronounced "marquee"), is a searchable index of all published and available movie reviews, news, interviews, and other material associated to movies.

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